July 21, 2001

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 18, 2001) - Featuring 14 of the nation's top college players, finalists for the USA World Championship For Young Men Team will assemble July 22 in Dallas, Texas, to begin preparations for the 2001 FIBA World Championship For Young Men that will be played Aug. 3-12 in Saitama, Japan. The 14 finalists for the USA squad will train July 22-26 in Dallas, then the official 12-man U.S. team will complete its domestic training July 27-30 in Oakland, California.

Following four training sessions at the June 1-3 USA Basketball Men's Trials in Colorado Springs, Colo., 16 finalists for the 2001 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Men Team were announced by USA Basketball's 10-member Men's Collegiate Committee. Recently two finalists, Jared Jeffries (Indiana / Bloomington, Ind.) and David West (Xavier / Garner, N.C.) informed USA Basketball they would not be able to attend training camp.

"We had a very good talent level here (at the trials). Particularly perimeter guys, guys that can get to the basket and make shots and that's important in international competition. So I'm excited about this team," remarked USA World Championship For Young Men head coach and Syracuse University (N.Y.) mentor Jim Boeheim. "I think we really do have a team that can go over and represent our country. This championship is very tough every four years and we'll see the best in the world in this age bracket and it will be a challenge for us. When USA Basketball goes to play in any championship, there's really only one medal you're looking at - the gold medal," added Boeheim of the expectations for his team."

Highlighting the USA team's training are exhibition games on July 25 and 26 in Dallas. The Americans will meet Lithuania's 22-year-old and under national team on Wednesday, July 25 in an 8 p.m. (CDT) game to be played at Southern Methodist University's Moody Coliseum. The U.S. will also take on Yugoslavia's 22-year-old and under national team on Thursday, July 26 in an 8 p.m. (CDT) game also at SMU.

Featuring two members from Duke's 2001 NCAA championship team and a third player who will play for the Blue Devils in 2001-02, the list of 14 finalists for the USA World Championship For Young Men Team includes: Troy Bell (Boston College / Minneapolis, Minn.), LaVell Blanchard (Michigan / Ann Arbor, Mich.), Carlos Boozer (Duke / Juneau, Alaska), Caron Butler (Connecticut / Racine, Wis.), Nick Collison (Kansas / Iowa Falls, Iowa), Brian Cook (Illinois / Lincoln, Ill.), Chris Duhon (Duke / Slidell, La.), Reggie Evans (Iowa / Pensacola, Fla.), Dahntay Jones (Duke / Hamilton Square, N.J.), Jason Kapono (UCLA / Lakewood, Calif.), Jameer Nelson (St. Joseph's / Chester, Pa.), Michael Sweetney (Georgetown / Oxen Hill, Md.), Marcus Taylor (Michigan State / Lansing, Mich.) and Frank Williams (Illinois / Peoria, Ill.). Eligibility for the 2001 USA World Championship For Young Men Team is limited to any male who is 21-years-old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1980).

Boeheim, Syracuse's successful and long-time head coach, will serve as head coach of the 2001 USA World Championship For Young Men squad, and he will be assisted by Ernie Kent of the University of Oregon and Phil Martelli of St. Joseph's University (Pa.).

The final 12-member USA team will be selected by the USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee during the team's July 22-26 training camp in Dallas.

The USA World Championship For Young Men Team will compete August 3-12 in Saitama, Japan, in the 2001 FIBA World Championship for Young Men Tournament. Featuring 12 teams that have been divided into two preliminary round pools consisting of six teams each, the United States is in Pool B with Argentina, Croatia, Israel, Japan and South Korea. The six teams comprising preliminary Pool A include Australia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Qatar, Slovenia and Spain. The USA opens competition on Aug. 3 facing Croatia, then meets South Korea on Aug. 4, Argentina on Aug. 5, Japan on Aug. 7 and the U.S. squad concludes preliminary play against Israel on Aug. 8. Tournament quarterfinals play gets underway Aug. 10, with semifinals being conducted Aug. 11 and the medal games being held Aug. 12.

Held every four years and originally designed for men 22-years-old or younger, FIBA lowered the age eligibility to 21-years-old or younger in December 1998 and changed the competition name to the World Championship For Young Men. The U.S. captured gold in the inaugural competition which was held in 1993 in Spain and known as the FIBA 22 And Under World Championship, and in 1997 in Melbourne, Australia, finished fifth with a 6-2 record.

2001 USA World Championship For Young Men Team Finalists

Head Coach: Jim Boeheim, Syracuse University (N.Y.)
Assistant Coach: Ernie Kent, University of Oregon
Assistant Coach: Phil Martelli, St. Joseph's University (Pa.)
Team Physician: Jeff Goudreau, Dallas, Texas
Athletic Trainer: Jayd Grossman, University of Cincinnati (Ohio)

2001 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Men Team Training Schedule
USA Training - Dallas, Texas (Dallas Mavericks Practice Facility - Baylor/Tom Landry Center)

*All practices will take place at the Dallas Mavericks practice facility,
the Baylor/Tom Landry Center.
#Exhibition games will be played at Southern Methodist University's Moody Coliseum.

USA Training - Oakland, California (Golden State Warriors Practice Facility)

*All practices will take place at the Golden State Warriors practice
facility which is attached to The Arena in Oakland.

2001 FIBA World Championship For Young Men - Saitama, Japan (Saitama Super Arena)